


The Arrow

by Pandelion



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Angst, M/M, happy ending I promise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-21
Updated: 2012-05-21
Packaged: 2017-11-05 19:03:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/409959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pandelion/pseuds/Pandelion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nothing special about the arrow, except that it's what he's got left.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Arrow

**Author's Note:**

> Set pre-Avengers, mostly because I forgot to include them in the fic. As such, this is also spoiler-free.

The thing is, it's just an arrow.

There's nothing special about it. It's got a broad metal tip and dark purple fletching and it had come out of a quiver full of arrows, each identical to this one. It's never been used, even in training and really, there's absolutely nothing special about it.

But it's the one Phil's got in his hands, right now, as he sits at his desk. The office is dark--he hadn't bothered turning on the lights when the sun set--but he can see the arrow well enough, can feel the even weight of it in his hands.

Nothing special about the arrow, except that it's what he's got left.

~*~

The report comes in while Phil's giving a briefing to a group of newly certified agents. Fury himself comes to pull Phil out, sending Sitwell in to finish the briefing before leading Phil to Fury's office.

"Sir?" Phil asks as soon as the door's shut behind him.

Fury leans against his desk and sighs. "We've just received word from Romanoff," he says. Phil frowns.

"I'm not involved in that mission, sir. What does her report have to do with me?"

"It doesn't. It has to do with Agent Barton," Fury says, uncharacteristically gentle.

Something in Phil goes cold.

~*~

A week later, Natasha limps off the plane, bag slung over her shoulder and a familiar black case in hand. She's the only one that comes off.

Phil doesn't say anything, just takes the case with a short nod when she hands it to him. Her eyes are sad, but she doesn't speak either, just walks past him to where Fury is waiting.

The case in Phil's hands seems inordinately heavy as he carries it back to his office.

~*~

Phil takes to carrying the arrow with him everywhere, needing the familiar weight and balance of it. The junior agents all go quiet when he passes their cubicles, now, their eyes on the way he holds the arrow casually, like a pen or a baton.

Hill purses her lips disapprovingly the first time she sees it, but she doesn't say anything. Sitwell starts taking over some of the junior agents, though, leaving more of the upper level stuff for Phil. Phil buries himself in the work and does his best to forget for thirty seconds at a time.

~*~

It's almost a month later and Phil's become the SHIELD bogeyman. He drifts through the halls, quieter than ever and demanding completed paperwork in an even voice. The junior agents are terrified of him and the senior agents do their best to steer clear unless absolutely necessary. Even Fury switched to written communication.

And then Phil comes back to his office and finds it occupied.

~*~

Clint is sprawled across the lumpy couch that Phil's been sleeping on more often than not lately. One arm is hanging off the edge and his feet are hooked over the armrest, his face smashed against the cushion. He's got dirt in every crease, his clothes look like they've been lived in too long, there are long faints scars across the skin Phil can see and he's drooling.

He's still the most beautiful thing Phil's ever seen.

Clutching the arrow tightly--because if this is a dream or a hallucination, he wants at least this one thing to stay with him--and goes to shake Clint's shoulder.

"Barton," he says and his voice is scratchy. He clears his throat and tries again. "Barton, wake up. I need a report."

"Mmph, Phil," Clint mumbles into the cushion. One eye cracks open to show a sliver of blurred blue-grey. "'Scaped. Stayed low. Hitched ride inna jet. Came here. Sleep."

That would have to do until Phil could get the sniper in a more coherent state. Now, he had other priorities. Picking up his phone, he dialed Fury's extension without taking his eyes off of Clint.

"Director, I have something in my office that I think you'll be interested in."

~*~

The next four hours are a flurry of activity as Fury confirms that Phil's not hallucinating or dreaming and they get Clint rushed down to Medical, where he's diagnosed with dehydration and severe exhaustion along with a number of still-healing wounds.

Clint wakes once, after the activity has died down. He turns, sees Phil sitting next to the bed, smiles and drifts back off to sleep.

Phil holds onto the arrow as tight as he can throughout it all.

~*~

It's two days before Clint is up to harassing the Medical personnel like he does, using scalpels for target practice and making all sorts of outrageous demands. Phil barely leaves during that time, has to practically be dragged away by Fury or Natasha to eat and shower. He sleeps in the chair next to Clint's bed.

Clint tells him what happened in bits and pieces. From touchdown to where things went so horribly wrong, to his escape a week later, to the weeks spent staying low, to exactly how he'd stowed away on a SHIELD jet and snuck onto the helicarrier. Phil tries to tell him about what's been happening at SHIELD before realizing that he doesn't actually know; despite all the paperwork he's done, he doesn't remember even a third of it.

It's not until Clint is being released from Medical that he silently holds out a hand and Phil gives him the arrow.

He watches Clint run his fingers over it, just like Phil himself has done for five weeks, two days, seventeen hours and forty-eight minutes. He doesn't say anything when Clint presses their shoulders together for a moment. Words will come later, he knows, along with so much more. For now, it's enough to feel the living warmth of Clint, there and whole and _alive_. It's more than enough.

The arrow wasn't anything special, but it's not all Phil's got left, not anymore.


End file.
